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Mobile-Ad Spending Leaps, but Trails User Growth

Outlays Expected to Jump 83% This Year, but Remain Small Compared to Time on Devices

Research firm eMarketer estimates that mobile ad spending will climb 83% this year to nearly $18 billion, surpassing newspaper and radio. CMO Today's Steven Perlberg breaks down the numbers on MoneyBeat.

After less than a decade of existence, smartphones and tablets this year will draw more money from advertisers than the centuries-old newspaper industry or the nearly century-old radio sector, a sign of just how rapidly technology is transforming media habits.

But given how much time Americans spend on their devices, mobile-ad spending could be much higher, an indication that marketers remain uncertain about the medium's...